HSBC sells Singapore insurance arm to Allianz in £1.6bn deal July 24, 2026 FTSE 100 HSBC has agreed to sell its health and life insurance business to German insurance giant Allianz for $2.1bn (£1.6bn) as it refocuses its strategy on Singapore’s wealth management. The banking giant agreed to sell its Singapore business to Allianz in a transaction that is expected to be completed in the first half of [...]
Babcock predicts global government defence spending spree after hit to profit June 22, 2026 Babcock said it had suffered a £140m financial hit due to delays in a contract with the Royal Navy but reiterated its financial targets for the next year, predicting high spending as global governments plough cash into defence. Profit before tax slumped to £267.2m from £339.4m in the prior year after problems with its Type [...]
Record number of central banks plan to increase gold holdings amid global volatility June 16, 2026 A record number of central banks are expected to increase their gold holdings over the next 12 months as global volatility continues to rock markets. Nearly 90 per cent of reserve managers anticipate central bank holdings to continue rising in the wake of the precious metal becoming the top reserve asset, overtaking US government treasuries, [...]
Rathbones to suspend thousands of client account inflows after FCA probe deals £530m blow June 16, 2026 Rathbones is set to lose out on hundreds of millions of pounds of inflows after it suspended contributions from thousands of customers following an independent investigation into its business amid concerns from the Financial Conduct Authority. The review into the company, known as a skilled person review, uncovered compliance shortcomings in its UK wealth management [...]
‘Banker’ arrested in connection with ‘Putney pusher’ attack June 15, 2026 Police looking for the so-called Putney pusher have arrested a man in connection with the case, nine years after CCTV footage appearing to show a woman being pushed into an oncoming bus triggered a high-profile manhunt. The 44-year-old male was detained by the Metropolitan Police on Monday despite detectives closing their investigation into the incident [...]
‘We do not accept the FCA’s characterisation’: Neil Woodford firm responds to watchdog June 9, 2026 Former star fund manager Neil Woodford’s comeback venture has hit back at the UK financial watchdog, arguing it ‘does not accept’ the regulator’s characterisation of the business after the FCA launched civil proceedings. W Four Point Zero FZE, which trades as W4.0 and is registered in the United Arab Emirates, rebuffed the Financial Conduct Authority’s [...]
Partners Group suffers surge in withdrawal requests and braces to cap more funds June 4, 2026 Partners Group warned that its flagship private equity fund had been hit by a flurry of requests from wealthy investors, raising concerns the Swiss firm would have to cap withdrawals, a day after doing so on a major European fund. Redemption requests at its $16bn private equity master fund reached roughly six per cent of [...]
Stockbroker boom down under boosts CMC Markets share price June 4, 2026 CMC Markets shares rocketed in early trading after a rise in stockbroking activity in Australia coupled with its expanding institutional business partnerships boosted profits. Shares soared 12.7 per cent to 415p, with shares up 37.1 per cent since the start of the year. The trading platform operator recorded a 20 per cent hike in profit [...]
Investec shares rise amid takeover speculation June 3, 2026 Investec shares jumped in early Wednesday trading after the South African financial giant became subject to takeover speculation. Shares rose as much as 4.6 per cent before settling at 1.4 per cent, trading at 669.5p, following reports from M&A blog site Betaville that the bank may have attracted takeover interest, with it citing “people following [...]
Universal Music rejects Bill Ackman’s $65bn takeover bid May 30, 2026 Universal Music’s board has rejected billionaire Bill Ackman’s takeover proposal, arguing it “materially undervalues” the company and is ultimately not in the best interest of shareholders or artists. The company’s board unanimously rejected the $65bn (£48.3bn) proposal from Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital on Friday, as it offered to buy the world’s largest record company last [...]